In a world of broken trust, friendship is the first breath of hope. Seventeen-year-old Mikey Hennick used to have it all figured out, until his family began to fall apart, his best friends betrayed him, and his girlfriend shattered him. Now he's drifting through senior year like a ghost, numbing the ache with cigarettes, late-night walks, and the silence between his mom's cold avoidance and his dad's sudden disappearance. Then he meets Nick Vasquez, a guarded mechanic with a sketchy side hustle and a habit of keeping people out. Somehow, Mikey gets in. What starts as a tense, unlikely friendship in a grungy garage behind Nick's house becomes a lifeline neither of them expected. Nick doesn't ask questions. He just lets Mikey exist, then comes Melissa: the new girl with butterfly earrings, sharp wit, and a secret she's not ready to share. She's nothing like the world he's lost, but something about her feels like breathing again. Dangerous, too. Because the closer Mikey gets to her, the more he's forced to confront everything he's been running from. As past wounds surface and trust slowly forms, Mikey is forced to face the truth: the people you let in have the power to hurt you... or help you breathe again. A deeply emotional coming-of-age novel about friendship, fractured families, and finding hope in the most unexpected places. ~ ~ ~ "I never had a main character that I relate so much to, he's the first one" - jezxdrilon "I love your story so far, it really is beautiful, even on such a dark topic" - AdelinaRomanStories

The 12 Steps is a gripping Young Adult novel that follows twin brothers Lincoln and Liam as they navigate the weight of trauma, addiction, and family fractures. Lincoln, a high school senior, is seven months sober and struggling to reconnect with a life that feels just out of reach. He wants to move forward but fears where the future might lead. Liam, also a senior, buries his pain beneath a reckless façade, desperate to outrun the past that haunts him. While one brother fights for control, the other refuses to acknowledge his own unraveling. When a life-altering incident shakes their already fragile bond, Lincoln and Liam must confront long-buried secrets, painful truths, and the damage that has fractured their family. The 12 Steps is a powerful story of resilience, healing, and the journey toward forgiveness-both of others and of oneself.